Reid ready to knock off the rust in all-british event to prepare for New York

Paisley wheelchair tennis ace Gordon Reid returns to action this week for the first time since lockdown began.

The 28- year-old is joining Britain’s other top players for the LTA Wheelchair Tennis event at the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton.

The two-day event starts today and will see British No 2 Reid face No 1 Alfie Hewett, his doubles partner, and No 3 Dermot Bailey in a round-robin competition

Britain’ s top three female players – Jordanne Whiley, Lucy Shuker and Louise Hunt – will also have their own competition in what will be the first para event in any sport since lockdown.

It’s being put on by the LTA to provide match practice for players ahead of the US Open later this month. And in similar vein to Jamie Murray’s Battle of Brits staged for able-bodied players earlier in the year, Reid reckons the wheelchair version will also combine friendly rivalry with a competitive edge.

He said: “We all know each other and train together, we’re all friends.

“But we’re all competitive at the same time so I’m sure that it will be in good spirits but we’re all going to want to win so it’s going to provide some good competition.

“We all play each other, so it’s just a couple of matches, but in a tournament environment to prepare us for the US Open.

“It’s over six months since we last played a competitive match so we’ re looking for that match sharpness before we head out to the States and this is the first chance we’ve had to do that under tournament conditions.”

Reid admits that, as he emerges from lockdown, it’s difficult to judge his form as he builds up to the US Open in New York from 10-13 September and the French Open at Roland Garros in October.

“Until you’re in that environment and under those pressures and there’s more on the line, you can’t really get a good gauge on where you are,” he said. “But, physically, I’m in great shape. I’ve done a lot of work over lockdown to stay fit and improve things.”